The field of the invention is electrical devices having a writing stylus tethered thereto by a cord, particularly a computer to which a stylus is attached. The invention relates to an arrangement for storing the pen or conductive stylus on the computer. More broadly, the invention is concerned with storage of any pen type writing instrument on a tablet or clipboard structure having a writing surface.
Hand held computers have been developed primarily for the recording of information during field work. This includes uses by delivery people recording the delivery of inventory from a truck, inventory personnel in a warehouse or store, and other route type uses which could include reading of gas or water meters, etc. A copending application entitled "Hand Held Computer", filed concurrently with this application, assigned to the same assignee as the present invention and incorporated into this application by reference, discloses a hand held computer which has a large screen covering much of the area of the face of the computer, is thin in profile and light in weight and has no alphabetical or numerical keyboard. The hand held computer has a writing stylus or pen for writing on the screen, tethered to the computer housing by a cord which may carry a conductive wire, although in some applications no wire is needed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for conveniently and unobtrusively storing a pen or stylus and its cord on the outside of a hand held computer such as just described, for periods when the stylus is not being used. It is also an object of this invention to provide an arrangement for conveniently and unobtrusively storing a pen or stylus and its cord on the outside of any object or housing to which a pen or stylus is tethered.